The San Francisco 49ers (1-1) rebounded from their Week 1 loss with a 31-13 rout of the home-team New York Jets on Sunday. The victory came at a high cost, however, as several players left the field with injuries — with at least one believed to be long-term.
Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo suffered a high-ankle sprain while defensive linemen Nick Bosa and Solomon Thomas, along with running backs Raheem Mostert and Tevin Coleman, sustained knee injuries. Bosa's injury is feared to be his ACL and will likely mean an end to his second NFL season.
"It's heartbreaking," left tackle Trent Williams said after the game. "Nick is a cornerstone on this team, part of the nucleus. Not only that, he's a shining star on the field. He has a bright future ahead of him, so it sucks. This is a part of the game nobody likes; nobody wants to talk about. Nobody likes to see that thing happen, especially to premiere players like Nick.
"But if anybody can come from this and be better, it will be him. I've got all the faith in the world that he'll be back next year better than ever. The good thing about it, he's been through one of these things before (in high school). He's about as hard a worker as you're going to find, so I know he will overcome adversity and still be that player that we expect him to be."
The 49ers could be without those players for their Week 3 game — again at MetLife Stadium — against the New York Giants (0-2). San Francisco opened the week as four-point favorites in the matchup, according to BetMGM.
The 49ers will also be without cornerback Richard Sherman and wide receiver Deebo Samuel. Both are on short-term injured reserve with the former able to return for Week 5 and the latter able to return for Week 4, at the earliest.
As if the injury to Bosa wasn't enough, the team may also be without its other premiere pass rusher in Dee Ford, who is dealing with a neck injury. The severity of that injury has not yet been confirmed.
The Giants have their own injuries. The team fears it has lost running back Saquon Barkley for the season due to a torn ACL.
For now, it will be quarterback Nick Mullens leading the 49ers offense for at least this weekend, possibly longer. He completed 72.7 percent of his passes for 71 yards, an interception, and a passer rating of 51.7 in relief of Garoppolo on Sunday.
